When her mother died, Sara learned from the family lawyer that her parents were not her birth parents, but had been foster parents. Instead of inheriting a large prosperous farm, she found herself on her own without a coin to her name. Her "foster" mother had left her most of the furniture and a small chest filled with three-hundred gold coins, but the two nephews who now owned the farm, ignored those provisions in the will and sent her packing empty-handed, save for one unruely IT that only Sara could ride. It was good riddance to them both! as far as the nephews were concerned. There had also been another letter that Sara had found in the hand of her dead foster mother. In it, she learned the identity of her blood family and that she was the legitimate heir to the throne of a neighboring kingdom. The letter also told how her birth parents had been murdered by the present ruler, an uncle, and how a faithful servant had smuggled Sara out of the kingdom and arranged for her fosterage. Having few other options, Sara decided to seek out her past and see if she could find justice for her birth parents and, perhaps, a kingdom to rule. Growing up, Lee had been the bane of her life. He lived on the neighboring farm and was a couple of years older than her, but he was always pestering her with his teasing and practical jokes at her expense. She had spent more of her time hating him than liking him. In fact, she wasn't sure she DID like him. She had been traveling for about two days, when she heard a familiar voice shout, "Wait up, Sara!" When she turned around to see who had called, there was Lee with his own IT harnessed up to a utility cart. Sara stopped her beast and let him catch up with her. The road was too narrow for him to pull up alongside her, so he stopped just behind her It. The cart was filled with his own bedroll, all kinds of food supplies, and even a tent! Sara swelled with happiness just to see a familiar face--even if it was Lee's--but then she remembered all his past stunts at her expense. "What do you want?" she demanded, suspecting he couldn't resist pulling one last joke on her. "I want to go with you." He paused, then added, softly; "I was worried about you. I'd heard you'd been kicked out without a thing. So I gathered some stuff and came after you." "Worried? About me?" She frowned at him. "Why?" "'Cause I like you. Always have. Besides, you're my friend." He seemed to wither under her glare. "At least," he finally stammered, "I thought you were." Sara stared at him in disbelief. Friend? He thinks me as a friend? Lee, the Tormentor? She shook her head, not yet able to comprehend such a possibility. Yet she had not missed that little note of surprised hurt in his voice. Well, he had come after her. No small thing that. What with a loaded cart. Must have not even stopped to sleep--or only for a few hours at most--in order to catch up with her. That counted for something, didn't it? The angry knot in her chest began to loosen. It was good that Lee had followed her and she was suddenly very glad he had. Whatever she would face in the future, she knew it would not be faced alone. ************************ On this Thanksgiving, let us be especially thankful for those true friends who follow us into the darkness and will not be sent away. Credits: IT, saddle, cart and harness: F_Wizard. Smonglers: Dreampaint. Mountain road: J. Trout. Alien trees and other terrains: me.